Vol. 114
BY PETER CUMMINGS
Meeting the Working Man
Eager to meet this musical icon, I arrived at Sting’s apartment on Central Park West with a sound crew and was welcomed into the living room. Sting entered a few moments later. Dressed in casual white, he radiated a bracing combination of strength and calm. He was gracious, even humble. He explained that he did not see himself as a celebrity, but rather as a working man, whose work was music. His aura and manner supported that statement.
Confidence to tour with an orchestra (The Royal Philharmonic) came partly from his earlier experiences with both the Chicago and Philadelphia orchestras. Asked how he recruited the Philharmonic to tour with him, his answer was simple: “They love to work.”
Persistence with The Last Ship
Now Sting is working on a major revival of The Last Ship—a theatrical production created years ago, where he stars as Jackie White, the foreman of a failing shipyard. Sting grew up in Wallsend, England, where the Swan Hunter Shipyard stood at the end of his street. Scores of workers passed his home each morning, an experience etched into his memory.
The Last Ship is his story, enriched with his compositions. Here’s one that captures scenes from Sting’s youth to be sure—scenes of fighting and loving in his gritty hometown.
The Night The Pugilist Learned How To Dance
Sting’s Musical Roots
The BBC was his first music teacher. During his youth, there was one BBC station for music; the genres were mixed, not siloed. He learned that music was a spectrum of genres and styles. This explains, at least in part, his persistence with his theater project and his commitment to classical music.
As early as 1985, he credited Sergei Prokofiev (Troika Movement from the Lieutenant Kijé Suite) as the source of his song “Russians,” from The Dream of the Blue Turtles Album. Almost 25 years later, he recorded “You Only Cross My Mind in Winter,” as part of a seasonal release.
The Inspiration of Bach
Every morning possible, Sting explained, he’d get to work, guitar in hand, to find his way further through the Bach Cello Suites.
“I have stolen shamelessly from Bach,” he allowed. “The winter song is inspired by the Sarabande from the master’s 6th Cello Suite.” Sting paused for a moment: “I hope he is not spinning in his grave.”
Judge for yourself:
Sting’s You Only Cross My Mind in Winter
And then try Bach.
Sarabande from Cello Suite 6